Amar Ekushey, Feb 21, the day Bangladesh remembers the martyrs of the Language Movement with pride and grief, nears once more.

Last-minute preparations are underway at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka for a proper tribute to the movement’s heroes.

People from all walks of life are expected to throng the Central Shaheed Minar in the wee hours of Wednesday, Feb 21, to mark Language Martyrs Day and International Mother Language Day.

The memorial will be flooded with wreaths, flowers, and the heartfelt respect of the nation.

As per tradition, the students and faculty members of the Institute of Fine Arts at Dhaka University have turned the walls and streets near the Shaheed Minar into a canvas.

Cleaning work was complete at the Shaheed Minar on Tuesday.

Teachers and students were now adorning the area with traditional graffiti and colourful designs.

The graffiti depicted the saga of the Bengali struggle for independence, ranging from the Language Movement to the Liberation War in 1971. Words and quotes of renowned personalities on Bangladesh and the Bengali spirit also decorated the walls.

Current and former students of the Fine Arts Institute were busy with their decorations.

"It is a great honour for us to be able to do this [art work] to pay homage to those who sacrificed their lives for their mother language. This provides an opportunity to exude the aura of patriotism and the spirit of Ekushey February,” said Munzerin Rimjhim, a student in the Department of Drawing and Painting engrossed in a graffiti design.

On Feb 21, 1952, the language martyrs shed their blood on the streets near the Shaheed Minar during a protest calling for Bangla to be recognised as a state language.

The tragedy paved the way for Bengalis earning their right to maintain their mother language as the state language and eventually led to the independence of the country.

Nearly 95 percent of the preparatory work is complete, said Dhaka University Proctor Prof M Maksudur Rahman. The secretary of the Ekushey Udjapon Committee hopes it will all be ready soon.

SECURITY

Authorities have installed CCTV cameras on the Central Shaheed Minar premises and nearby areas to ensure security during the Martyrs Day events. A stage has been erected on the roof of Dhaka Medical College Hospital for announcements.

Control rooms for the police, RAB, and a first aid camp were set up on the Dhaka University Faculty of Law premises.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Habibur Rahman expects no security threats during Language Martyrs Day.